Accidentally bought a V8.....

So, it would be a slight understatement to say it's been a while since I posted. In fact Its been 4 or 5 months (if not more) if my memory serves me well. This has been predominently down to two reasons, both involving me blowing my project car savings (sorry for the neglect my poor Mitsubishi). Firstly, this was due to moving house and the car fund becoming a mortgage deposit, as our house sold quicker than expected. Secondly, after we moved I started saving again.... and I kinda blew the project car money again... this time on a V8... The Abarth is gone.

Now, blogger tells me that 9 of every 10 views on my blog comes from North America, so I want to start by clarfiying that although this is a V8, this isn't American muscle, though it could be considered 'muscle' of sorts. Deutsch Muskal.

This is my new (to me) Audi S4. It has a 4.2l (256.3 cubic inch) engine which, when new, delivered 339 bhp through all 4 wheels.... ugly ass wheels... 

To be fair they don't look as bad in the flesh as they do in photos, but still might be tempted for a bit of an upgrade at some point. 

In terms of performance it does 0-60 in 5.6 seconds, a fraction slower than my old Hawkeye and not too far off what the GTO could do before it was garaged. The drive is much smoother than I expected from an engine this size, and its delivery of power, for the most part, feels quite refined in comparison to the JDM cars I've had with similar performance. When testing it I put my foot down from a set of lights and started thinking it wasn't too fast, until I looked in the rear view mirror to realise how far ahead of everyone else on the dual carriageway I was.

The interior is well kitted out for a car off its age. It has Recaro's front and rear, all of which are heated leather. There are tons of hidden compartments, so plenty of storgae and a huge boot. And with four doors this means I can now cart the kids around... if I ever let them in the car.

At the point of typing this I have had the car for only a couple of hours, having picked it up during rush hour. This means I'm yet to stretch its legs and see what it can really do. As such, I will do another entry next week focusing a bit more on the drive of the car.

Check out my last post here

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What are your top driving tunes? + project update

Quick project update

So as we hit summer time in the UK that can mean only one thing. Glorious sunshine.... during the week when I'm stuck at work. Followed by torrential downpours and flood warnings, come the weekend when I can work on the project.

So in the mean time I have done a little bit of shopping. I have picked up a couple of smaller pieces such as a new boss kit, some bits to add some colour to the interior etc. but most notably I have also made my next big purchase (partly thanks to Mrs 3oD who contributed as part of my birthday present from her). I have now ordered a big brake kit for the GTO which I will hopefully get to show off in a week or so when it arrives! This upgrade is long overdue because the money I had saved for it originally went on the clutch upgrade through necessity.

So quick update out of the way, onto a bit of a question...

What are your top driving tunes?

Long before I grew up and got a proper job sat at a desk playing solitaire, I used to tend bar. I tended bar long before I passed my driving test, and continued to do so long after.
I had already found an affinity to associating music with most of the things in life, friends, events, work, college. It was only natural that when driving home on empty roads at 4am, music and driving would also go hand in hand for me. I would often drive well over a half hour in the wrong direction to drop off staff and then really enjoy giving myself a long run home with the only other cars on the roads being taxi cabs and boy racers, looking to blow off some steam and wind down from the antics of the night, blaring the music, driving into the sunrise in my first POS Scooby.

Certain songs still really effect my mood when driving, here's my Top 10:

#10 Feeder - Buck Rogers

When I passed my test and got my Scooby, it still had it's stock sound system and no USB port. So I took all the music I wanted in my car, put them into 1 playlist hit shuffle and then burnt the playlist onto about 7 CDs. Track 1 of CD 1 was this song, which at the time I thought was very appropriate given its opening line is "Got a brand new car"... although it didn't look like a Jaguar, no matter how hard I squinted. It's seats weren't leather either, they were Recaro.  But at least it had a CD player  player player player... 

#9 Dan Bull - Forza

I am admittedly a self confessed geek. Car geek yes, but also geek in general. Many of Dan Bulls raps cover topics such as politics, tv, there's even one about the bible. Most of his raps are about computer games, as is this one. Yes. I have just included a song about a computer game in my top 10. Yes this is on my spotify driving playlist(s).

#8 Walk the Moon - Shut Up and Dance

I have to hold my hands up with this one, not really a driving song at all. Not in the slightest. But it is one of my guilty pleasure songs which I play ALL the time in the car. A catchy tune and simple lyrics mean that its a good song to bop along to in a car... as well as the fact the local radio station I listen to for traffic updates on a morning plays this as every other song....

#7 Gym Class Heroes feat. Fall Out Boy - Mash Up

A lot of the songs I like to drive to make me want to have a really heavy right foot and push the limits to how late I can break. This is not one of those songs. This wants to make me roll the window down. Tap my hand on the car door. Nod my head in time with the music.... and just cruise. The combination of Fall Out Boy and Gym Class Heroes is a random one, but if it works...

#6 My Chemical Romance - I'm Not OK (I Promise)

From a song that makes me ease up, to one that makes me put my foot down. When you've had one of those days at work, college or whatever. When everything seems to be pushing you past breaking point, and life feels like it's riding you like a b**ch. There is this song. When I am in one of those moods nothing can beat hitting winding national speed limit country lanes in a good handling car with this song blaring. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a my chemical romance fanboy or anything, they're ok. But this song is angry and upset all at once which makes it perfect for when you are on the verge of snapping, and in that mood I can't help but plant my foot to the floor when this tune starts.  

#5 Talco - La Torre

Now, I cant speak a word of Italian, but really appreciate a song with a good beat. Helped by the fact I'm a bit of a ska fan. These guys have so many songs that make me want to tap my feet. So if you're looking for something with a Mediterranean flavour for your driving music and want to give spanish rap a miss (A ella le gusta la gasolina (dame mas gasolina)) give these guys a try. 

 #4 Go Radio - Rolling in the Deep

This one may be a little controversial, it's a cover of the song by Adele. They take her song and make it rock! I think those who love the original would dislike this on the list thinking that the cover is sacrilege, those who aren't fussed on the original probably wouldn't like to see it on the list thinking it cant be good for driving. I urge you to give it a chance! This is one of those songs where when it comes on I cant help look like an idiot in traffic singing my little heart out. I much prefer it to the Adele version....

#3 Wiz Khalifa - See You Again

In an attempt to not look overly cliche I was going to put another song in from the F&F franchise, maybe even "We Own It" by Wiz Khalifa, but lets face it, this has become the song from the franchise. I think it had to be on the list.

#2 Alistair Griffin - Just Drive

This song is used as the theme for the Sky Sports F1 coverage of the Formula 1 races, but the song is a great song in its own right. I was shocked when I started trying to look into what that song was, that it had so few views on YouTube. This song tends to make me feel however I felt after the result of the previous race. If Hamilton won, makes me feel upbeat and happy. If Rosberg has won.... well.... lets not go there.


#1 Alkaline Trio - This Addiction

Alkaline Trio are my all time favourite band, so they we're gonna be on this list somewhere. They even made it into my wedding vows with their song 'Every Thug Needs a Lady' (more romantic than it sounds, honest).I tend to prefer listening to their older albums, Good Mourning is really my era, my halcyon days (showing my age there!). In terms of driving and cars this song pretty much sums it up for me. It has a great beat that can lead to heavy feet, but the song is also, rather obviously, about an addiction, and the feelings of withdrawal are reminiscent of how I feel when I have not been able to let loose and drive my little heart out.

I was lucky enough to meet Matt Skiba last year outside of an Alkaline Trio gig, awesome guy, though I was left a tad star struck, giggling like a little school girl. If you haven't heard of Alkaline Trio before you may have heard of Matt's new band. A little band known as Blink-182.  More importantly, if you haven't heard of Alkaline Trio, check 'em out!



When I started this post I thought it would be a relatively quick one, boy was I wrong. I have several playlists with hundreds and hundreds of songs in for different kinds of music depending on my mood for driving. But that's the key thing right there, depending on mood. My favourite song one day may have me diving for the skip button the next. I was also trying to avoid the cliché songs wheeled out by the BBC and Top Gear branded for fathers day, such as 'Jessica' and 'Don't stop me now'. But instead found myself putting a few more modern clichés like 'See you again'. Being a drive time DJ on the radio must not be as easy a job as I thought....

If you would like to laugh at my lack of progress in real time you can follow me on social sites by clicking the links below or search the @s :

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King at the Castle

It has been a few weeks since my last entry, I have been waiting to try a windscreen chip repair kit. Unfortunately it has to cure in direct sunlight, and as it's summer in the UK, that means it's been nothing but drizzle and fog for the last month. So that will still be to come.

This weekend saw Fathers Day, and with it, the annual Raby Castle Classic Car Show. I may have had the title  in mind for this blog for quite some time...

The grounds of the castle make for quite the  stunning backdrop for some rather stunning cars. The day is a very family friendly affair with a wide variety of cars on show ranging from club stands to military and commercial classics, from modern classics from the 80's and 90s to vintage pre-war cars from the turn of the last century.

There was almost too much for one blog entry, so I will pick out my highlights and then do a bit of a photo dump at the bottom of the blog page.

Even before we got into the show itself we were coming across rare beauties like this, parked just two cars down from us in the parking lot! IT bode well for the show, and kind of made me wish I had the 3oD there.

For me, these have to be one of the most beautiful cars ever put into production, the E-type Jag. They are always a pleasure to see in real life and are a stark reminder of how form can meet function in a way that blurs the boundary between car and art. If I ever win the lottery I may even display one of these in my living room....

One car that has always eluded me at shows, meets and general petrol head gatherings are Janson's. I have seen museum pieces behind ropes, and bare shells, carcass barely recognisable. So to be treated to two stunners like these was awesome. On top we have the car with one of the best names ever, the Jenson Interceptor and underneath the curvaceous 541.

The car at the show I would most like to drive has to be this:

I'm a sucker for a rally bred car, after all 2 of my 4 daily drivers I've owned have been Imprezas... but to me they will simply never be able to hold a candle to cars like these. Don't get me wrong, when I'm attending these shows when I'm retired I wouldn't mind having a meticulously kept low mileage STI to bring out ONLY for show season, but modern rally cars will never turn heads or hearts quite as much as the so much more soulful classics they replaced!

For all I could go on about all of the cars I saw yesterday, I am fully aware that hearing me wittering may get a tad boring, so instead I shall post more car pornography at the bottom of the blog. Enjoy.

Check out my last post here - New-New-Top 'So Called' Gear

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As this isn't even half of the pictures I took, hopefully I will be kept me busy for a while on Instagram!

New-New-Top 'So Called' Gear

Sunday night, sat on my sofa, watching TV from behind a cushion. Peeping at the screen through the gaps in my fingers, hiding behind my hands. No, I wasn't watching some cheesy teen slasher horror set in some abandoned asylum... though it did feel like it... I was watching the new Top Gear.

Probably the second most anticipated moment in car related TV entertainment of 2016 in the world (obviously behind the 'Grand Tour'). It had big shoes to fill, clown sized in-fact. Not many would be foolish enough to try, especially whilst brazenly copying the old format, though I'm sure the paychecks helped.

The first disappointment to point out occurred before the opening credits had even finished. Evans trying (and failing miserably) to copy the voice-over style of Clarkson. It is something he just couldn't pull off and I think this video says it all....

Reaction to Evans' Top Gear from proper presenters

The next disappointment came right at the end of the credits. I expected the credits to finish and have Johnny Storm, or maybe even Captain America stood there... But instead was some old ginger pillock... I thought Chris Evans was presenting it? 

Chris Evans Meme

Into the first segment and Evans' Clarkson-isms continued to un-impress. "Brakes the size of dinner plates..." etc etc. 

I've read a lot of criticism of Matt Le Blanc as well, though in my opinion he was much better than Evans and showed more potential at being watchable. I was a bit disappointed that the attempt at a cheap car challenge saw him on the back of a tow truck for the majority of it, fighting break downs was half the fun of those things! But still, as long as he can learn to say "Porsche" correctly, he may be a slight saving grace for the main show. Especially if the bookies odds are right for Evans being dropped after 1 season. 

The real hidden gem was Extra Gear. Given how bad the main show felt, I'm not sure many will have gone out of their way to watch the Extra Gear sister show, and if not many did it would be a real shame, as I think Chris Harris and Rory Reid proved the much more watchable pair. If you hated the main show, I would strongly recommend giving that one a chance. 

I also loved the concept of having a rally cross track for the 'star in the reasonably priced car' segment of the show. It really mixes thing up for those 10 minutes, it may no longer be the break in the show to make a cuppa it has always traditionally been. I will find it interesting to watch the first bad weather laps as I can imagine that will impact on lap times much more than the old track, but also make them more spectacular to watch!

On reflection, I think the negative reaction was that of a knee jerk, and I suppose that's why I waited a couple of days before posting about it. It's not as bad as people are making out, and there is some potential there. I suppose after a few episodes when Evans realises he will never be Clarkson and settles down into being himself, maybe even he could become a bit more watchable..... here's hoping, and failing that, counting down to Grand Tour, albeit still watching Top Gear in the mean time. 

And for those still resistant to change (maybe myself included)  don't forget Top Gear used to look like this:

Check out my last entry K&N 57i install on a Mitsubishi GTO (3000GT)

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K&N 57i install on a Mitsubishi GTO (3000gt)

At the end of my last entry I alluded to the removal of the air box, although what it was might not have been that obvious due to its JDM AF label. First on the agenda was a little tidy under the bonnet. 

This is a relatively old picture, it's from when I first got the car, I wasn't planning on doing this today, but couldn't resist once I got started so apologies for not getting a pic in better light.

Pic from 'Winter nights by headlights' meme I did last year

You can see that under the bonnet the deadening is not in good condition at all, it is frayed and falling apart. So do I replace or do I..... who am I kidding, sound deadening delete all the way!

Close up shows clip, but also how bad the condition of the sound deadening really was 

Simply held on with these clips, they came off with ease by hand, but used pliers anyway for the most part to save any chips in the paint. I saved the clips in best condition to reattach the heat shield.

After sound deadening delete

Looking much better already! I think I'm going to keep at the engine bay tidy up, little by little over the summer, as it would be a bit of a beast of a job in one go! Especially with not trusting the electrics enough to get a jet wash in there! 

The aftermath! more than happy to get this discarded! On to the intake!

The first step is to disconnect the negative side of the battery, working on the car alone the last thing I wanted was a ss-ss-shock!

Yes, it's a Pokemon reference, yes, I am a geek...

 As my car is a unicorn in among the GTO/3000gt as it is both twin turbo and manual, the vacuum line for the transmission is then disconnected. Followed by the Mass Air Flow Sensor Plug.

MAF and tranny vacuum line

The lid of the air box is then un-clipped, and the hose clamp in the above picture loosened slightly. The air box lid and MAF sensor will then come out as one unit.

Air box lid with MAF sensor attached, connected by 4 bolts on each corner of the MAF

When I removed the air filter I was a little shocked, as the car was supposed to be serviced and MOT'd in July last year, and sat on a dealers forecourt from then till I bought it in September/October time.

Not only was the filter packed with leaves and stones, but the rubber was also perished and split along the sides. Cracking job with the service there... The car must have been able to breathe about as well as a life long chain smoker on a stroll up Mount Kilamanjaro. (Babyshambles gonna be stuck in my head all night now)

When you remove the filter you will then be able to unbolt the air box, and then it will pull straight out.

Once the box is out you are left with a decent amount of space for the new intake to fit into. The mass-air sensor can then be unbolted from the air box lid.

PAUSE

I would like a take a moment to pause here and reflect on this step. Of every step in the process this was the hardest by far! 3 of the nuts came out no bother at all! But the backing plate of the last one just spun, tearing chunks out the plastic.

I ended up waiting for Mrs 3oD to get home, and using my rotary tool to trim away the excess plastic and using a 14mm spanner to hold the backing plate whilst Mrs 3oD turned the 10mm nut on the other side. Even with the combined brute force of the two of us we still had to stop for a break after 10 minutes of wrestling with it... at which point I asked Mrs 3oD which direction she was turning the spanner..... it then came right off.... *Face-palm*

Couldn't resist the Ash face-palm after using him for the shock pic earlier!

The sensor is the connected to the filter adapter using the nylock nuts from the intake kit. and should look something like this.

Almost done!

Be sure to use the short bolts on the top, and long ones on the bottom. The long bolts then have the brackets attached to them, loosely for now. This is then slid back into the intake hose in the original location from which it was removed and the hose clamp tightened. The brackets should be maneuvered over the bolts used for the stock air box, and then nylock nuts applied. once everything fits nicely together it should then all be tightened down.

The MAF sensor is plugged back in and the vacuum line reconnected (if required). The new 57i filter is slid onto the adapter with a hose clamp and tighten down.

The battery is then reconnected. Being careful not to jump if it sparks slightly and drop the bolt for the connection to the negative and have it NOT hit the floor. I didn't do that.... honest.... it didn't take 20 minutes to retrieve from the depths of the engine bay at all... OK... maybe that happened a little.

The car is then ready to go with its sexy new intake fitted. As it sits in the location of the stock box, it still gets the same good supply of cold air the stock box did, but can now make much more use of it! It also has the added bonus of sounding even better! I tried to take a video of the turbo noises with the new intake, but only had my phone to hand which didn't do it justice, so that will probably follow later.

Check out my last entry - How to Sleepy Eye / Lazy Eye a Mitsubishi GTO / 3000gt

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